


Fragmenting Exits

by cyberdigi



Series: Butterfly Series [9]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Ianto Jones: Immortal, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-10 22:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberdigi/pseuds/cyberdigi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can the Choice Ianto made still save more lives?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fragmenting Exits

“Or maybe they’re not creatures,” Tosh said quietly over the comms as Ianto came to stand over a box-like object—a box-like object with a countdown.

He barely registered Jack’s observations of explosives or Owen’s curse as he tried to find some form of cover.

Then nothing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next thing he remembered was being buried under rubble and trying to pull himself out, only for shooting pain to course through his shoulder.

He wasn’t sure if he had died; but regardless, this wasn’t a good situation.

Were the others alright? God, the pain! Would he ever get out?

“Ianto!” he heard Jack’s far-off voice call for him.

Unwillingly, his mind flashed to when he had met the man who would be the love of his life.

He had done everything he could to get a job at Jack’s Torchwood, including lying. He had hidden himself from them and lied to them, all for the shell of the woman he thought was _“the one”_ , but in the end that was not the truth.

Those first days he had felt so conflicted because even then he was starting to feel that undeniable, soul-deep attraction to Captain Jack Harkness.

He counted himself lucky that in those first days after his betrayal was known he was not only given a second chance; he was given forgiveness.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Jack removing the beam that was on top of him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The weevils were overrunning the city; Ianto had just finished reporting that they couldn’t make it to the nuclear power station in time.

After a moment Owen replied, “I can do it. I’ve been working on a spray to go unnoticed by weevils; I have it with me.”

“Not another spray, Owen,” Ianto said, exasperated.

“Look, we’ve been wanting to know about their lives, right? I noticed they ignore dead things, so I’ve been working on something that, once sprayed with the stuff, causes them to ignore you.”

“And has it worked?” Tosh asked.

“I haven’t been able to get Jack to approve testing yet.”

Tosh and Ianto shared a look; they didn’t want any of the team to face unnecessary danger, but they had to get to that reactor.

“How confident are you it will work?” Ianto asked.

“Confident enough to risk my life.”

In the end they were all Torchwood; and danger was just part of an ordinary day.

Tosh nodded.

“Go; and Owen, make sure you’re back in time for Jack to yell at you.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

First John-Bloody-Hart, now Jack’s brother--Jack’s apparently _psychotic_ brother. Ianto was beginning to think that no one from Jack’s past was sane; but then, this _was_ Jack.

Ianto almost felt sorry for Gray, with the undeniable horrors this man had seen; but all that pity was negated by the fact he had taken his lover, buried him for 2000 years and destroyed his city.

While John and Gwen distracted Gray he pulled out his own handheld; it wasn’t anywhere near as useful as Tosh’s, but the two of them had long since worked out that a signaling system might be necessary someday.

Seemed that day was today.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As Tosh just finished explaining the reactor had already hit the critical point, she heard her handheld beep.

She looked down to see the message:

**Intruder  
Team captive  
DANGER**

“Can you fix it?” Owen asked.

“Of course, I’m brilliant,” she said. After a few quick taps on her keyboard to make sure her handheld was connected to the reactor’s systems, she explained what she would do and then grabbed her gun.

She could lie in wait for the intruder, but the nuclear reactor was priority so she would tuck herself in a spot out of sight.

She had just ducked into a corner near Autopsy when she heard footsteps.

Quietly she kept tapping away at her handheld to take care of the reactor; she also kept her gun ready, just in case.

It was awkward, especially with her extremely limited mobility in her left arm, but she wasn’t brilliant for nothing.

Then there was a banging sound that reverberated throughout the Hub.

“What is that?!” the intruder cried before rushing to wherever the sound originated.

One crisis down…for now, at least.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Tosh, talk to me; I need your help here, babe,” Owen pleaded urgently over the comms.

“Working on it,” she replied.

After a moment she said, “Okay, I got it; Owen, we don’t have much time before the meltdown is inevitable.”

“Then we better hurry, my brilliant genius; you do owe me a third date, after all.”

“Thought we were on the fourth?”

“Usually you have to leave each other to count the date as ending,” he said. She could hear his grin through the comms. “Let’s do this, Tosh.”

“Owen, there’s a possibility of power surges which would cause a lock down; so if I say run, run.”

“Got it, now shall we continue with saving the day?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ianto looked on at his lover as Jack stood at the edge of the rooftop.

He slowly made his way towards Jack, coming to stand just behind him, and placed a gentle hand on Jack’s shoulder.

They were silent for a moment, just staring at the setting sun.

“I was worried we’d never find you again,” Ianto said quietly, breaking the silence. “And when I heard they had buried you, 2000 years ago…I…Jack, I was so worried, about so many things; that you...wouldn’t…remember.”

Jack turned to face Ianto, bringing one hand to cradle Ianto’s face.

“I _do_ remember, Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack said with a sedate smile.

Jack brought his forehead to Ianto’s before saying, “I don’t think I was conscious the whole time, or maybe even a majority; there just comes a point where you don’t revive anymore; but it was my amends to Gray.”

Ianto sighed before pulling back and saying, “As much as I _hate_ agreeing with John Hart, I do agree with him on this; it really isn’t your fault, Jack, and even if it was, I would think all the pains you’ve suffered in your life would be penance enough.”

“I...” Jack paused before continuing, “...I understand what you’re saying; and maybe even part of me agrees. But another part of me, the me that is that ten-year-old boy, thinks it was his fault. The same ten-year-old whose parents would make him and his brother make it up to each other if they hurt each other, by accident or on purpose.

“But destroying everything I care about for no other reason than I care about it? I know that was wrong; I know he’s broken, probably beyond repair. Maybe I thought that if he had revenge on me it’d help him; it didn’t. My Gods, Ianto, even when he thought I was gone forever, he wanted to destroy all of you and Cardiff; if I was really gone, that wouldn’t have hurt me. That…that was just…insane.”

Ianto nodded.

“Whatever happened to him, I think we both know he was no longer sane. Jack, even if you believed you needed penance for being a scared child and letting go, those 2000 years should have more than made up for that.”

Jack looked into Ianto’s eyes before looking away quietly for a moment, then nodding solemnly.

Ianto pulled him into a close hug and said, “Do you remember what you told me after the Ghostmaker?”

At Jack’s confused look Ianto continued, “You told me that we can’t always save everyone, and we’re adults. How could you, as a child, be expected to do more than you can as an adult?”

As Jack’s eyes began to light up with understanding, Ianto finished, “You also told me that we take the time to mourn the ones we didn’t save and hope the next time we can save everyone. Jack, you couldn’t save Gray—definitely not now, and maybe not then—but Jack, look at this city. Yes, it’s a city in ruins, but it’s still here and many more of its citizens are here _because_ of you and your Torchwood.”

Jack looked out at the city—ruined, but still alive.

“You’re right.”

“Of course I am, I know everything,” Ianto replied cheekily before sobering. “Really, what are you going to do with Gray?”

Jack took a deep breath. “Nothing for now, but he really won’t be fixed in stasis, and probably not even out here. Maybe John was right and killing him would have been better, but I can’t now, not in cold blood. I just don’t know anymore.”

“Could therapy in a future time help him?” Ianto asked.

“Maybe, in a few centuries.”

“Might I suggest keeping him in stasis until that time, and try and get him help then? If they can’t, arrange for him to have a trial somehow.” Ianto hesitated before continuing, “And if he dies because of some malfunction before that, consider it the Universe demanding punishment.”

Jack looked at him for a moment, possibly considering that Ianto thought to _cause_ a malfunction, and seemed to weighed the ramifications of that.

“It’s more than I had thought of,” Jack said sadly. He stepped away and resumed staring out into the city.

“Jack?” Ianto said, getting Jack’s attention. “Why don’t we go home and enjoy a bubble bath and then curl up on the couch? I think we could both use some time to remember we’re here and alive.”

Ianto extended his hand, waiting for Jack to take it.

Jack slowly took Ianto's hand in his, a watery smile on his face.

As they walked away, Ianto said, “I’m here, Jack. I’ll always be here.”


End file.
